{"id":69026,"date":"2023-03-31T09:13:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T09:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/?p=69026"},"modified":"2023-07-25T07:52:19","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T07:52:19","slug":"get-a-move-on-with-professor-pods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/2023\/03\/31\/get-a-move-on-with-professor-pods\/","title":{"rendered":"Get A Move On – with Professor Pods"},"content":{"rendered":"

Descending in his capacious capsicum capsule, his intra-planetary piquant pod, Professor Pods (AKA Neil Ferguson)<\/a> has touched down in Sheffield<\/a>, on a mission to begin again. In truth he\u2019s moved house from Scotland. We imagine he used a van. But the journey of establishing his growing operations in pastures new has been every bit as epic as our preamble suggests. <\/p>

The new propagation rooms and growing spaces, climatic and seasonal changes, adjustments to irrigation and nutrient regimes, the availability of different and exciting marketplaces for goods; Neil took us through the lot. But first up we talked about the kind of fresh growing ideas that only a clean slate can trigger; altered perspectives on varieties, diversification, propagation, progression, lighting, feeding, and of course sauces<\/a>.<\/p>

\"Rammed
Above: Rammed with fruit. Professor Pods Bahamian Goat Peppers in 15 L \/ 3.9 gal 1Pot modules grown on Mills late last summer<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Given the dramas inherent to moving house and<\/strong> shifting a growing operation one might suppose that 2023 would be at least semi-fallow. Not a bit of it, as Neil reports. \u2018Despite aiming to have a \u2018settling\u2019 year whilst we embed in our new place and the local market I\u2019m well on my way to growing over 100 chilli varieties for 2023. The scope for new arrangements has really fired my imagination!\u2019<\/p>

\"Jeepers
Above: Jeepers creepers Moruga Reapers! One of Professor Pods latest varieties the \u2018Reaparuga\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

As he diversifies Neil is looking to extend his successes in sustainability and productivity to all the varieties he has under cultivation. \u2018In previous years I\u2019ve been working on how best to work on AutoPot Watering Systems, moving to sustainable growing substrates<\/a> and optimising yields. We\u2019re now at the place where we can routinely get 2.5 – 3.5 kg of chillies from a single habanero or super-hot pepper plant in a 15 L \/ 3.9 gal AutoPot 1Pot module. We want to try and extend our approach to a wider range of chillies, as well as adding new challenges to the mix, in terms of hydroponic growing of other fruits, in line with our new product lines.\u2019<\/p>

Consideration of the end product is central to Professor Pod\u2019s approach to growing. His sauces are designed before seeds are sown to scientific yet joyful specifications<\/a>, with ingredients identified and blended to create intriguing, perfectly balanced flavours. Once the design has been settled upon its time to sow. Neil took us through his preferred arrangements for this, and the tweaks that have occurred since moving. <\/p>

\"Do
Above: Do you yield? An all-conquering 3.37 kg \/ 7.4lb first harvest from a single chilli plant grown in a 15L \/ 3.9 gal 1Pot module using Mills coco<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u2018My preference for propagation, having tried pretty much all variations, is Rockwool cubes<\/a>. Together with heated mats, you can get germination reliably inside 4 to 6 days. However, I lost my EC wand and pH meter<\/a> during the house move, so had to go with soil this year for propagation. A bit slower, but it works just fine. Of course, I found the wand about two days after I needed it and had already decided not to go with the Rockwool cubes.\u2019<\/p>

\"\n2023
Above Left: 2023 gets underway with chilli babies in a grow tent beneath a Cropmaster Pro 600 LED.
Above Right: Bahamian Beast Peach F3 coming along beautifully<\/figcaption><\/figure>

For Neil the most challenging part of the propagation process is feeding. \u2018Germination is easy and, if you are going with Rockwool, then it\u2019s pure hydroponics and you have complete control. Go light with the EC at first, but feed throughout. Rockwool cubes and my easy2Propagate system<\/a> work spectacularly and are minimal effort.\u2019<\/p>

\u2018However, if you are using soil, as per this years seedlings, then it\u2019s a judgement game as to how much \u2018pre-feed\u2019 is actually present, how long it lasts, and how quickly it\u2019s released (bioavailability). This can be a bit of a lottery. On top of this, if you\u2019re growing many different varieties at once, they all have different needs, so the sweet spots vary. In the early days with soil, I prefer to go light with feeds and correct up with nutrients where deficiencies show, rather than risk over-doing it with too heavy a feed and getting lockouts which are a pain to fix in soil.\u2019 Neil\u2019s kit has been instrumental in allowing him to get started in time for the season, notwithstanding the move. <\/p>

\"An
Above: An ideal propagation setup, easy2Propagate and Kroptek 18W LED tube<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Scalability, ease of setup, off-grid functionality, and inexpensive operation are all qualities exhibited by his propagation equipment. \u2018I\u2019ve been playing about with very low wattage LEDs this year and, following the advice of Ben from Plantasia<\/a>, I\u2019m having great results with a Kroptek 18W LED tube (4000 K spectrum)<\/a>. This is 4 foot long and is great for seedlings and early veg, it\u2019s no fuss to set up and always good to go. Costs almost nothing to run too.\u2019<\/p>

\u2018Even better, the Kroptek fits exactly the length and spread of the easy2Propagate system which is modular and needs no power or running water to function, making this a killer combination in my view. In line with our aims of reducing utility costs we\u2019ve got a great strategy for propagation and pre-veg. Low power\/ultra rapid ribbon heaters give good enough climate control whilst keeping overheads low.\u2019 In order to give his young plants the best chance of success Neil adopts a \u2018lazy\u2019 approach to prop\u2019-to-pot-progression.<\/p>

\"A
Above: A new spin on lighting fixtures – the Prof\u2019s Kroptek innovatively supported by wheel jacks<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Typically Neil gives his seedlings 4 to 6 weeks in trays, then 4 to 5 weeks in 9 cm pots. Next the plants move into 1L \/ 0.25 gal or 2L \/ 0.5 gal pots for a little while if the final destination is an AutoPot module. \u2018I always over-grow my young plants prior to transplant as they get established much quicker in the final homes. My plants typically grow indoors Jan to early May, then it\u2019s over to the poly tunnels.\u2019 And what of the sharp end? Prof Pods new crucible of chilli production? How will his South Yorks polytunnels differ from their Dumfries ancestors<\/a>?<\/p>

\"Polys
Above: Polys of yesteryear in Neil\u2019s native scotland<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u2018The baseline weather is about 6 to 10 degrees centigrade hotter for most of the year, so growing chillies etc will be easier, and the costs of additional heating for polytunnels considerably less than when we were in Scotland. I miss Scotland, but not the weather!\u2019. The conditions will necessitate certain changes in the way Neil feeds the plants, but not the means by which he feeds them. <\/p>

\"Super
Above: Super abundant. A 4Pot system (it is in there!) producing stunning growth in 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u2018I think it\u2019s safe to say I\u2019ve got chillies nailed down with AutoPots. I get the highest yields I\u2019ve ever seen using the systems together with Mills Coco and Mills nutrients<\/a>. It\u2019s a great combination. Now, being in England, the temperatures are higher and humidity lower than in Scotland. So, I\u2019ll need to remap my feed regime for the local climate. I\u2019m about to build a large, hydro-dedicated polytunnel just for this purpose, so this will be the main test bed. I\u2019m confident things will be the same as before, if not better, now I\u2019m here in Sheffield.\u2019 Things haven\u2019t been entirely plain sailing for the Prof over the last 12 months but he has managed to find silver linings aplenty.<\/p>

\"Looking
Above: Looking to guarantee the provenance and quality of all ingredients
Prof Pods is branching out with, amongst other things, tomatoes in AutoPot this year<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u2018I was ill for most of last year but I\u2019ve been working away in the background developing quite a few new product lines that are completely fresh directions for us, so we look forward to relaunching in Sheffield around April \u201823. I\u2019ve also had time to plan the expansion of my AutoPot use into tomatoes, and a few different fruits we\u2019ll be using for the new sauces I\u2019m developing. This will be a baptism of fire, but I\u2019ve got the space, and the quality of produce now available isn\u2019t appropriate to the quality of sauces we make, so we need to grow our own. Even better, people can follow my fledgling efforts in this new space on my Instagram feed. We can learn together.\u2019 <\/p>

Neil reckons there are many more trading events to tap into further south so it\u2019ll be much easier to meet him and sample Professor Pods wares. Huge thanks to him for all the insights he\u2019s provided, we look forward to revisiting later in the year. Meantime we\u2019re sure you\u2019ll join us in wishing Neil well as he seeks to put the \u201c\u2018eff\u2019-ing hell, that\u2019s delicious!\u201d into Sheffield.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Descending in his capacious capsicum capsule, his intra-planetary piquant pod, Professor Pods (AKA Neil Ferguson) has touched down in Sheffield, on a mission to begin again. In truth he\u2019s moved house from Scotland. We imagine he used a van. But the journey of establishing his growing operations in pastures new has been every bit as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[290],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-autopot-news-march-2023"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/03\/Get_A_Move_On_Main.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69026"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69026"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69038,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69026\/revisions\/69038"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}